Overview
The Vermont Housing & Conservation Board's Viability Program offers business planning, succession planning, and technical assistance to enterprises that keep Vermont’s working landscape in production. These include: farm businesses of all sizes and sectors; food businesses that process, store, market, or distribute local agricultural products; and forest products businesses such as maple producers, consulting forestry firms, loggers, sawmills, craftspeople and wood manufacturers.
Eligibility
The Viability Program’s one-on-one business advising is open to farms, food businesses and forest products businesses of all types and sizes. To be eligible for services, farm business owners must be a year-round Vermont residents currently operating a Vermont Farm business; have at least two years' experience managing the current business; and have grossed at least $15,000 in the most recent tax year. Additional eligibility requirements apply to food and forest product businesses.
How it Works:
The Viability Program matches participants with advisors who have the specific skills to meet their needs. The Viability Program contracts these advisors to provide on-site, one-on-one, custom-tailored assistance for participants. Services are provided free of charge following a $75 enrollment fee.
Participants can receive a variety of business services ranging from in-depth long-term business planning to short-term specialized assistance, including:
- Business Planning
- Enterprise Analysis
- Financial Record-keeping and Management
- Marketing and Sales
- Human Resources Management
- Management Coaching
- Retirement & Ownership Succession Planning